Lent with the Desert Fathers

by Thomas McKenzie, Ella Haigh McKenzie (Editor)

Lent is a desert. We enter this wilderness once a year, seeking the God who dwells in dry, silent places. In this little book, Thomas McKenzie, a Benedictine oblate and Anglican priest, guides you through Lent. Day by day, you’ll hear from the Desert Fathers, masters of Lenten spirituality. Through Fr. Thomas’ personal reflections on their words, you’ll be challenged to walk in trust down this ancient path.

Genres: Christian, Religion, Theology, Faith

106 pages, Paperback

Published January 2, 2019

About the author

Thomas McKenzie lives in Nashville with his amazing wife and two terrific daughters. He was born and raised near Amarillo, Texas. His Bachelor's degree is from the University of Texas at Austin, and his Master's Degree in Divinity is from Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania.

Thomas is a priest of the Anglican Church in North America and the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh. He's the founding pastor of Church of the Redeemer in Nashville, Tennessee. He's an oblate of the Monastery of Christ in the Desert in Abiquiu, New Mexico.

Reviews

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this book was for every day of the year and I mourn that Father Thomas and his beloved child are no longer alive on this earth to share more beautiful reflections like these with us. The way that he so plainly communicates the love of Jesus is comforting beyond words.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the reminder each day to begin with a moment of silence. Often the monk's writing reminded me of koans. I liked Thomas McKenzie's down to earth story telling that shed more light on the reading of the day. I often found things I wanted to learn more about or follow up on. These are always a plus in a devotional. I used this as a nighttime meditation. It would work just as well if not better in the mornings. Over all a wonderful Lenten practice.

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved having this little companion to my Lenten journey. I actually kept up with the daily readings and looked forward to sitting down with this book every day. Great sayings from the Desert Fathers to meditate on, and helpful, relevant commentary and reflection by Thomas McKenzie. I will definitely use this again next year.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this during Lent because I wanted to know more about the Desert Fathers. It was a good read, but it contained a single quote from a Desert Father for each day, a commentary from the author, a Lenten challenge, Scripture, and The Lord’s Prayer. I found myself wanting more about the Desert Fathers.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

I was pretty let down by this collection. It featured some excerpts from the Desert Fathers that I gave food for thought, but most of them felt dry and/or extremely elementary. Let me be clear - I think this devotional could work wonders for someone who was brand new to their faith, but as someone who was looking for a deepening experience, it left me hungry and disappointed.

[Aaron Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

2020 will go down as the craziest Lenten season I've ever experienced. I am thankful for this book. I wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone looking for a guide to help them navigate the season of Lent.

[Ari DeBenedictis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is the first lent book I’ve read. It was nice - wasn’t the greatest at keeping up with it (especially at the end when I was on vacation in Korea haha) but I thought it was cool to think more about lent than just Sunday church services.

[Terzah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has made Lent this year much more meaningful for me. I'm sorry that Easter is almost here. We will make this book our guide next year, and into the future.

[Gavin Breeden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not super familiar with the Desert Fathers and Mothers and thought this might be a good way to dip my toe into that stream and it served that purpose well. Each day of Lent McKenzie gave a quote from a Desert Father/Mother, a brief commentary on it, a practical application of it, a passage of Scripture relating to it, and the Lord's Prayer. I enjoyed my time with the book and McKenzie's commentary was often very helpful and interesting. The main problem is the book was self-published I think and there were a few typos and formatting issues which were a bit distracting. Overall, a good read for Lent.

My, how the world changed in the time I was reading this book.

[Robert McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a simple but grace filled Lenten devotional. I’m particularly thankful for the author’s pastoral voice this year when all of us gave up way more than we expected to.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed going through this during Lent!

[Jaden Weatherly · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a great devotional during the Lenten period!

[Johnnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect this book to be humorous as well as insightful--but it was!

[Timothy Hoiland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lent is an especially deserty season in the liturgical calendar. For forty days each year, we remember Christ’s testing in the wilderness and prepare our hearts for Easter through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. And, if you’re like me, you do some intentional reading.

In addition to Fleming Rutledge’s The Crucifixion, which I highlighted last month, this year I also read Lent with the Desert Fathers by Thomas McKenzie. An Anglican priest in Nashville and a Benedictine oblate of the Monastery of Christ in the Desert in New Mexico, McKenzie invites us to reflect on the teachings of the desert fathers – early Christian monastics. Their austere, prayerful lives – lived out in vast, arid places – can be instructive to us whose lives look drastically different.

“Deserts are quiet places, even symbolic deserts like Lent,” McKenzie writes. “When we practice Lent, we shut down some of our normal distractions. This leads to a kind of inner silence.”

Lent is just about over, so this might not be a book you want to read right away. But I hope you’ll consider tucking away this recommendation for next year. I should also say that McKenzie’s introductory guide to Anglicanism is winsome and wonderful.

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Lenten devotional, this is wonderful! It is concise, direct, and full of practical suggestions that you can use immediately. I loved it.